Going Green: Girl Stuff *NSFW*

Most people who embark on a health journey eventually try to apply that conscientiousness to every part of their life, not just food. We buy primal pit paste, and mouth cleaning "dirt", try to get our cardio (i play kinect games for cardio fyi), and at least start with informed eating. A lot of us are also environmentally conscious. For women, there's this whole other huge facet of our lives to apply this too- our cycle.Today, I'm going to deviate a little bit and go full on *real* life by talking about a health-conscious aspect of my life that i think a lot of women think about, but don't necessarily talk about- menstrual care and products.

 Traditional feminine hygiene products are made with a whole lot of CRAP like bleach and plastic and other chemicals that we are smushing up against super sensitive skin in a warm wet environment. The absorbent materials used in them generally make them an ideal petri dish for breeding bacteria, which is why we all had to learn about Toxic Shock Syndrome at puberty. They're also designed to absorb for effectiveness, but being super absorbent means absorbing your natural lubrication along with the monthly mess. All that creepy stuff aside, they aren't super biodegradable so not exactly friendly to the environment when discarded, AND they cost a lot of money along with the pink tax (extra tax applied to products made for women). If you flush them they clog the plumbing, and if you put them in your bathroom trash...let's hope you don't have pets. So let's dive into...

Menstrual Product Alternatives

There are a lot of alternatives out there from fabric pads to semi-disposable rings, and i'm here to tell you what's available, what i've tried, and what i use now:

Blossum Cup- $12.95

• Menstrual Cups
• Menstrual cups are a cup that you insert up into your vagina to collect blood throughout the day rather than absorb it. They have a learning curve- if you get them inserted correctly, you don't even feel that it's there, but if you *don't* get it in correctly, they can slide, turn, and just be generally uncomfortable. i used it for a year's worth of cycles and I did eventually get the hang of them, but my biggest problem was with the cup sliding down. They do come in different shapes and sizes, but the general consensus is most people cut the stick off
• Brands: Diva, LilyCup (Intimina), Saalt, Lena, Cora, Blossom, MoonCupetc.
• Disposable Menstrual Disc
• 
• a soft cup works the same way as other menstrual cups, but it's designed as a ring with a loose, kind of baglike collection area which eliminates issues with slipping, and is meant to be used for a single day- ultimately disposable. Reviews say the rim is hard, but not uncomfortable. These versions tote "mess free intimacy"
• Brands: Flex & Softdisc
• Flat Fit SoftCup
• 
• There's actually a hybrid out there between a silicone cup and a soft disc with a rounded bottom. Reviews say it is way more comfortable, but messier at empty and probably better suited to someone with a light flow.
• Brands: Ziggy (Intimina) $39.95, NixIt $49.95
• *I bought a ziggy cup in August 2019, and they were running a 20% off sale. Code "Cup19" was also valid for $10 off (which is basically shipping) so i paid $31.89
• Period Panties
• 
• Period panties are like regular panties, but with a special wicking gusset in the crotch. They are all the rage among moms, and my current method which I've been using for about 2 years. You just wear them and go about your day, changing when appropriate (I only need one pair to get through a day, but a heavier cycle might require a change)
• Brands: Anigan EvaWear, Thinx, Knix, etc. There's a bunch out there, and many articles comparing brands. They average out ~$20-$30/pair
• Sea Sponges are also a thing, but they weird me out and i'm not going to review them here

Ive tried the first and last, and don't love the idea of the second which still gets tossed at the end of the week. If I try the third, I'll update this post, but my current system is working for me and that's super expensive for something i'll use once or twice a year.

Pros & Cons

 Mostly, I use the panties which are incredibly easy and go in the washer. There really isn't a mess to deal with, and they're super comfortable. The downside is that they're kind of a real investment, they aren't cheap and ideally you want a pair for every day of your cycle. You can wash them in a sink or shower and hang dry if you're on vacation so that's not really an issue, BUT these are a no go for swimming and less than ideal for intimate activities. This is why I still occasionally use a cup, because sometimes you can't or don't want to wear your period panties. A cup is great for swimming, and I recently used mine for poorly timed boudoir photos. The pro is you can generally leave the cup in place throughout your day, with minor adjustments when you use the restroom. The con is that any actual interaction with the cup tends to be at least minorly messy, since you legit have to push it up or fish it out of your body with your fingers. The mess isn't necessarily cycle fluids, but let's just say you want to clean under your fingernails when you're done.